Sunny Side Up Motel
by BobWritesTheFics
Summary: Harry's working at a motel for the summer. Unexpectedly, Draco appears and rents a room. Harry is filled with questions. Why is he there? What is he hiding from? And, probably the most important question of all, why is the need to be close to him so strong? This takes place somewhere between year five and year six.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Harry's working at a motel for the summer. Unexpectedly, Draco appears and rents a room. Harry is filled with questions. Why is he there? What is he hiding from? And, probably the most important question of all, why is the need to be close to him so strong? This takes place somewhere between year five and year six.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in the Harry Potter series. I will not be profiting off this story.

* * *

Harry's mop landed heavily on the ground, splashing soapy water across the tiled bathroom floor. He sighed, absentmindedly moving it back and forth. Occasionally shuffling around to scrub any spots he might have missed.

Harry recently got a job at the Sunny Side Up Motel. Although the job was extremely mundane and the building was a crap hole, it was far better than spending his time at Privet Drive. Plus, he met a lot of interesting people on the way. From your average guys with business meetings the next day to groups of teenagers just wanting a place with a pool. The occasional (suspected) axe murderers. Either way, all the customers seemed to get along fine with Harry. Way better than the way he got along with his Uncle or Aunt.

"Oi, kid! Stop daydreaming and go change the towels in the supply room." Harry whipped his head around to see his boss poking through the doorway.

Harry nodded and hastily put away his mop. Mr. Jameson was strict, but he was never too harsh on his employees. He was actually really nice to talk to on breaks or after work. He would always listen to Harry and his situation back at home. During work, though, it was always "Oi, kid!" or "See here, boy…" Harry liked it that way, anyways. Made it easier to work.

One by one, Harry carefully set the towels on top of each other in the supply room. It was just behind the front counter where the customers checked in. He liked to keep the door slightly open so he could see what new characters he could expect. Unfortunately, whenever he restocked the towels he could only hear the newcomers. That was fine, though. Made it more interesting to find the face to match the voice.

Harry was on the last few towels when he heard the door open and someone walk to the front desk. The stranger's voice was soft, yet somehow direct and strong. It had an edge to it that Harry recognized from other customers. It meant they were scared. It meant they were hiding from something.

"Room for one please." The soft murmur requested to Mr. Jameson.

"How long will you be staying?" Mr. Jameson said gruffly. His voice was considerably louder than the others.

"... I'm not sure."

"I'm sorry sir, but we're going to need an estimate for rates..."

The customer clicked his tongue in frustration. After a bit of shuffling, he said in a strained, aggressive tone, "This should cover however long I choose to stay. I _hope_ you choose to accept it."

Harry froze. He could hear a distinct sneer in the last phrase. _But that's not possible…_

"... O-of course. Yes. That- that should be… Ahem…" Mr. Jameson stuttered. Harry's eyes widened. There was definitely only one person who could make his tough as nails boss fumble like that. "May I have a name for the room?"

He hesitated. "Draco."

 _What?_ Harry thought, _That's not possible. No Malfoy would step foot in a muggle town._

"... Ah… And, last name?" Mr. Jameson said before Harry could come to any possible conclusions.

"You will only need my first." You could feel the venom that seeped out of every syllable.

"... Alright. I'll have someone show you to your room right away. Oi, kid! Come show Mr. Draco to room 115." Mr. Jameson called towards the supply room.

Harry groaned. He had a feeling that the last thing Malfoy wanted to do is bump into a schoolmate. Much less him. He slowly stepped out of the closet and locked eyes with "Mr. Draco". Harry gave him a tight smile, "Right this way, sir."

Draco's eyes widened, but overall he kept his composure. If Harry wasn't so familiar with his expressions, he wouldn't have thought Draco had any reaction at all.

Draco gave a curt nod and followed Harry up to the second floor. Harry opened the door to 115 and stood to the side, allowing Draco to look about the room.

A long and painful silence followed.

"So… Never thought I would see you in this side of town. Thought a quick visit to a muggle town would expand your worldview, then?" Harry commented after he couldn't take anymore of the quiet.

Malfoy glared at him. "I thought I could prove myself wrong about your pathetic lifestyle, Potter. Guess the trip was pointless, though, since you work in such a crapper."

Harry laughed, which made Draco take a step back, a bit startled.

"Sorry," Harry chuckled, "I'm just used to this kind of pointless banter in _very_ different settings."

Draco couldn't help but smirk, "Yes, the situation is a bit unsavory. I agree."

Harry ran his hand through his hair and looked tentatively towards the other, "So, why _are_ you here?"

Draco's face fell back into its usual nonchalant demeanor, "That's hardly any of your business, Potter."

Harry sighed, "Yeah, I was expecting that answer." He pulled out a key card and a few brochures. "Here, this is how you get into your room and these will help you with getting around the building."

Malfoy took the objects, carefully setting them on the bed. "...Thanks."

Harry smirked, looking from the key card to the proud boy, "... Do you know how to use that?"

Draco narrowed his eyes, "I'm sure I'll figure it out. Without the _help_."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say. Just call the front desk when you need service… Or, I guess, just go to it. I doubt you know how to use a phone…"

Draco nodded curtly, still glaring as Harry headed out, "I'll manage, Potter."

"Oh, and," Harry started, turning to Draco in the doorway, "I don't think using your real name is the best tactic when one goes into hiding. Just a thought."

Draco cocked an eyebrow, "Who says I'm hiding?"

Harry grinned, "Really? There's no other possible reason. And why the muggle world, of all places?"

Malfoy's face suddenly darkened, "They won't go searching for me here."

They stared at each other, Malfoy holding his expression, leaving Harry to search for meaning in it.

"Is that all?" This time Draco broke the silence. Harry came back to reality, realizing that they had stared at each other for far too long. He nodded and turned on his heel, heading for the front desk, calling behind his shoulder, "Remember to ask when you need help."

Draco huffed and yelled out, "I think you mean _if_."

All he heard in response was a light chuckle and the faint sound of disappearing footsteps.

* * *

Thank you for taking the time to read this! This is my first fanfic that's not Teen Titans... I hope I do the pair justice.

Also, this is rated T for now. I'm not sure if I want to write anything explicit, but it may be heavily hinted at. We'll see where this goes.

Please feel free to review!

-Bob


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Harry's working at a motel for the summer. Unexpectedly, Draco appears and rents a room. Harry is filled with questions. Why is he there? What is he hiding from? And, probably the most important question of all, why is the need to be close to him so strong? This takes place somewhere between year five and year six.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in the Harry Potter series. I will not be profiting off this story.

* * *

Harry rolled onto his back, stretching his arms up to better see the letter in his hand. He wrote to Hermione and Ron about the situation at his work a few days ago. Of course, Ron was more concerned about what a "Motel" was and why Harry was working there.

Harry sighed and turned over again, bringing Hermione's letter close to his face. She, on the other hand, actually gave a thought out response. It wasn't much, but it was better than Ron's "Do you even need muggle money?"

 _Harry,_

 _I wouldn't think too much about Draco. We're all at that odd stage of growing up where acting brash is very natural. Maybe he just needed to get away from his parents for a bit? I can just imagine how stifling that house could be._

 _Honestly, Harry, I would just stick to work as usual if I were you. Whatever Draco's reasons are for being there is his own business. Best stay out of it. Don't go causing trouble before school even starts!_

 _Hope all is well. I'll see you at Ron's later this summer!_

 _Hermione_

Harry gave out another sigh and let the letter fall to the floor. That couldn't be it. Why would Draco decide to go to the _muggle world_ just to get away from his parents? There was definitely more to it than that. Harry was sure.

Hermione was right, though. It wasn't any of his business. He should just keep to himself and continue doing his job. But since when has he ever kept his nose where it didn't belong?

Dawn crept slowly into Harry's room, the light of the sun trickling in from the window. He could hear Uncle Vernon start to stir. Harry groaned, forced to get up. The only way he was allowed to have a job was if he was out of the house before anyone else was awake.

Quickly throwing on his uniform, Harry tip toed out the front door.

* * *

"Glad you could finally make it," Mr. Jameson commented as Harry stamped his time card. Five minutes early, for the record.

Harry grinned, "Had to stop to read the paper this morning, sir. You know how it is."

Mr. Jameson ruffled his hair, pushing him toward the glass doors that lead to the pool, "Don't be a smart ass. Go clean the tables outside. And make sure those kids don't drink anything near the pool!"

Harry laughed and tried brushing his hair back, but the rebellious locks wouldn't cooperate. He pulled at them, scanning the pool. The recent group of teens were splashing about. Some of them were trying to start a chat with a surly blond sitting in one of the lounge chairs.

Draco was wearing expensive sunglasses and swim trunks, sitting lazily under the shade of an umbrella. It was odd seeing him look so much like a muggle. He must have done some research on how to look before hand. He definitely bought clothes at a muggle store.

Draco pulled his sunglasses up and looked as though he was going to retort a snide comment. He stopped when he spotted Harry walking towards the edge of the pool. The teens talking with Draco immediately swam to the other side, meeting him with a chorus of "Harry!"

Harry grinned and squated down, "Hey! You guys swimming already?"

One of the teens, around thirteen or so, crossed their arms and rested them at the lip of the pool, "Our goal is to swim until there's no more water."

A girl around Harry's age splashed at him playfully. "Join us!"

Harry laughed and raised his arms to block the droplets. He shook his head, "I gotta clean up all your messes."

"We're not even drinking around the pool this time!" One yelled from the middle of the water. He was on one of the kid's shoulders, playing chicken fight.

Harry rolled his eyes, "For now." He got up and started to wipe down the glass tables. He glanced back at the lounging boy, but Draco had already slid his sunglasses back on. He looked bored without his usual posse.

 _Why is he here?_ Harry asked himself for the hundredth time today. He shook off the thought and continued to chat with the pool dwellers as he cleaned.

Harry knocked on Draco's door. He held a few towels in his arms and absentmindedly looked over the golden numbers plaqued on the dark green wood.

* * *

"... Yes?" A drawling voice answered.

"House keeping." Harry said jokingly. He heard some shuffling before the door was opened a crack. He pushed it open with his foot and gently closed it behind him. He searched the room, noticing how spotless it was. Almost cleaner than he when saw it on Draco's first night. "How's the muggle life holding up?"

Draco looked up from the desk he was working at. "Well, I've figured out this 'electricity' nonsense, so that's something."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, seems you already got the hang of the muggle world. You even have the right clothes… How do you know any of this stuff?"

Draco sent a glare Harry's way before sneering, "Don't you have towels to put away, Potter?"

Harry sighed in exasperation, "Whatever, Malfoy." He went to the closet to quickly put away the new set of towels. He was suddenly feeling stupid and embarrassed. Why was he trying to make conversation with him anyways? Why did he even care what weird crap Malfoy was going through? He shoved the last towel in the closet before turning on his heel to face Draco. "Need anything else before I head out?"

Draco shook his head, not even bothering to look up. Harry huffed and walked to the door.

"...Wait…"

Harry turned around a little too quickly, having not expected anymore conversation between them. Draco's brow was furrowed, as though he were contemplating even continuing his thought.

"What?" Harry said, slowly walking back to the middle of the room.

"... Never mind. Forget it." He turned back to his work abruptly.

Harry walked over to the desk, craning his neck to see his expression, "No, really, what?"

Draco jumped, leaning away, "Watch yourself, Potter!"

Harry sat on the edge of the desk, resting his weight on his hands. He laughed, "Don't be so jumpy." Was he imagining the feeling of relief? He felt as though a slight tightness in his chest loosened.

"I am _not_ jumpy, Potter." He turned away with his nose in the air, cheeks slightly pink. "You're face would startle anyone."

"I know. It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

Draco snapped his head around and narrowed his eyes, " _Hardly._ "

Harry clutched his chest in feign hurt, "Draco, you can't mean that…"

Draco rolled his eyes and picked up his quill.

Harry grinned and nudged his shoulder, "Seriously. What were you gonna say?"

Draco glanced disdainfully down to his shoulder before looking back to Harry. "I…" He suddenly looked away, slightly sheepish, "I was wondering what 'secondary school' was. Those muggles at the pool mentioned it to me once or twice."

Harry blinked, "Oh, that's all? It's just regular muggle school."

Draco's nose crinkled in confusion and slight disgust, "What would they even study?"

"Math? Physical education?"

"What in the name of Merlin is _physical education_?"

Harry chuckled, "You know, like, running."

Draco cocked an eyebrow, "Muggles need to learn that?"

Harry shrugged, "Well, it's like training. Usually you'd learn how to play certain sports. Like dodge ball."

"What the fuck is dodge ball?" Draco looked utterly bewildered.

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing, "It's a muggle game. You have two teams. Each is trying to hit the other with a ball. Whichever team is the last one standing, wins."

Draco shook his head, "I swear, you're making this shit up."

Harry grinned, "Oh, Draco. Like I could lie to you."

Draco narrowed his eyes, leaning towards him. "Watch it, Potter," He said darkly.

Harry leaned in as well, a mischievous smile gracing his lips, "What, you're the only one allowed to be a smart ass?"

"Being 'smart' is a gift, Potter. It's not that I'm allowed to be intelligent. I just am." Draco flashed a wicked grin back.

A shiver went down Harry's spine. His face started to heat up, but he attempted to look unfazed.

Draco chuckled, noticing the slight redness in Harry's cheeks. "What, my charm already making you fall in love with me, Potter?" He rolled his eyes and turned back to his papers. "Don't expect me to be this nice to you at school. I have no intention of being all buddy-buddy with my sworn enemy," He said the last phrase in an almost sarcastic tone.

Harry took an exasperated sigh, ignoring the "falling in love with me" comment, "Honestly, Malfoy, this arch nemesis relationship is getting old. Even _at_ school. Let it go, you prat."

Draco turned and opened his mouth to retort, but quickly closed it. He sighed after a beat and leaned towards Harry, his cheek resting on his fist. "Fine. What would you rather be, then, hmm? _Friends?_ "

Harry chuckled and shook his head, "I doubt that could happen so quickly. Maybe acquaintances. We don't know that much about each other, anyways."

Draco raised an eyebrow, doubtful. "What would we _possibly_ want to know about each other?"

Harry's smile dissolved. He paused, looking into Draco's face, his brow furrowed. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "What are you hiding from?" He breathed.

Draco didn't look away or try to distance himself. His confident demeanor seemed like it was slipping away as he searched Harry's eyes. Almost as if he was looking for reassurance. He took a breath, "I-"

"Oi, kid! Get down here and clean the pool!"

They both jumped and straightened at the sound of Mr. Jameson's voice.

"On it!" Harry yelled back.

He glanced at Draco who had started shuffling papers nervously. He realized how far away they were now. How close were they a second ago? Their noses must have been mere inches apart. Harry was uncomfortably aware of how loud his heart was beating.

He quickly rose to his feet, "Well… Duty calls." He strided to the door and hastily shut it, practically running for the front desk.

As soon as Draco heard a click, he let his head drop against the desk. His cheeks pinked with embarrassment.

" _Shit._ "

* * *

Thanks for reading! I'm pretty excited for the next chapter. Very angsty. But also very cute.

See you next chapter and please feel free to write a review.

-Bob


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: Harry's working at a motel for the summer. Unexpectedly, Draco appears and rents a room. Harry is filled with questions. Why is he there? What is he hiding from? And, probably the most important question of all, why is the need to be close to him so strong? This takes place somewhere between year five and year six.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in the Harry Potter series. I will not be profiting off this story.

* * *

Stamping his time card was always a mixed bag for Harry. On one hand, he didn't have to touch a mop for another twelve hours. On the other, he had to trudge back to the dreaded Privet Drive. He sighed and leaned against the front desk, resting his elbows on the cool counter.

Mr. Jameson looked up from his end-of-the-day data notebook and flicked Harry on the shoulder. "See here, boy. I'm not about to have loiterers in the lobby. Bad for business."

Harry laughed and turned around, resting his crossed arms on the desk instead. "'Bad business'? Seeing you at the front counter is bad business. I'll probably attract more customers."

Mr. Jameson shook his head, looking back down at his notebook with a small smile. "Never heard that one before," He mumbled sarcastically.

Harry snorted, resting his cheek on his fist. He stayed there for a few minutes, watching Mr. Jameson write. For such a large and intimidating man, his handwriting was surprisingly dainty and curly.

"So, you were slacking off a bit today. Did you go visit those nice girls at the pool?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Harry snorted, "No. But now that I know I won't get in trouble for that…"

"Watch it kid."

"No, I caught up with 'Mr. Draco' when I changed his towels." Harry laughed.

"You know him?" Mr. Jameson asked.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, we- … Ah, he lives in the neighborhood near ours."

Mr. Jameson pursed his lips, "I'd be careful, kid. He doesn't seem right."

Harry shook his head, "No, he's alright. He's just going through something, I think."

Mr. Jameson shrugged, "If you say so. By the way, how's the home life? Aunt Marge causing you anymore trouble?"

"Oh, home life is brilliant," Harry said sarcastically. "And I don't have to worry about her anymore. She, uh, kind of _drifted_ apart from the family. Doesn't visit much."

Mr. Jameson sighed, "That aunt and uncle of yours… Really, you'd think they would have a bit more compassion."

Harry shrugged, drawing shapes on the counter with his finger, "It's not like I give them a lot of reason to feel compassionate."

Mr. Jameson grasped him by the shoulder, looking him in the eye. "You don't need a reason for them to treat you well, Harry. _No one_ should need a reason to treat someone with respect."

Harry nodded, looking back down at the counter. Mr. Jameson sighed and patted him on the head. "Go on. Off to the house, then. I'll see you in the morning."

Harry obeyed, pulling at his hair and trudging out through the glass door. He usually left from the back gate on the other side of the pool to get home. It was a lot of walking from there to Privet Drive, but he didn't mind. The clear summer air was nice around this time of night.

Harry took one last swooping look of the pool, freezing when he locked eyes with a customer nervously standing to his right.

"Malfoy? What are you doing just standing there?" Harry moved towards him, but Draco took a step back every time Harry stepped forward.

"N-nothing!" The light in the pool was the only thing illuminating his face. It was difficult to catch, but Harry could see Draco's cheeks pinken.

A slow grin appeared on Harry's face, "Were you spying on me, Draco?"

Malfoy's pink grew into a vibrant red. He tried his best to look enraged at the mere thought, but he only managed to look embarrassed. " _Excuse me?_ Spy on _you_? I have _much_ better things to do with my time, Potter."

"God, you're such a drama queen. I was joking." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Either way, I wasn't spying. I needed-" He stopped midsentence. "Ah, never mind."

"What?"

"None of your business, Potter."

Harry sighed. "Whatever, Malfoy," He mumbled.

They were silent for a few minutes, each waiting for the other to speak. Harry rubbed his neck, about to dismiss himself before Draco asked, "What was that muggle talking about?"

"Who? Mr. Jameson?" Harry thought over his previous conversation, "Oh, don't think too much of what he said. He didn't mean anything by that 'doesn't seem right' comment. He just meant-"

Draco shook his head, "No, not that. Like I could possibly be bothered by what a _muggle_ says about me." Harry shot him a disapproving look. Draco ignored it, "What did he mean about your 'home life'?"

Harry blinked. "Oh, uh…" He hadn't expected Draco to wonder about that. "It's just… Ha, I don't really know how to explain this to you."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow, "What, I wouldn't understand or something?"

Harry shook his head, "No, no-"

"You don't want to tell me?"

"No, it's just-"

"Then it shouldn't be all that difficult, Potter."

Harry was getting frustrated. "Why do you even care, Malfoy?"

"Is that not how 'acquaintances' work, Potter?" Draco's voice raised to match the intensity of his cheeks, this time red with irritation, "Are you the only one allowed to ask questions?"

Harry stared wide-eyed for a beat before letting out a short, loud laugh. This, of course, made Draco even angrier.

"Forget it!" Malfoy turned to leave, planning on doing so very dramatically, but was caught by the arm.

Harry held his hand to his mouth to keep from giggling and shook his head. "No, no, wait," He said, the words muffled. He _really_ hadn't expected Draco to take his words to heart when they spoke in the motel room. "I get it, I get it." He took a breath and released Malfoy's arm, composing himself. Draco raised an eyebrow, suspicious of future laughter at his expense. Harry gave a small chuckle and nodded his head to the side, gesturing for Draco to follow. Sliding his hands in his pockets, Draco begrudgingly obliged.

They walked together around the pool, stepping slowly and deliberately. Harry thought about how he could explain his "home life", the oh-so brilliant Privet Drive. He could just imagine how Draco might react to that mess. Well, now that he thought about it, he didn't really know how Draco would respond. Would he feel pity for Harry? Or just laugh at him for such a pathetic situation? Knowing Malfoy, probably the latter. But, as he said, they were "acquaintances" now… For some reason, that word made Harry's stomach twist uncomfortably. It just sounded so… _off._ Which was a bit ironic, seeing as Harry was the first to use it.

Draco fidgeted next to Harry as they reached the back gate. He felt like he kept his hands in his pockets for too long, but didn't want to bring attention to himself by taking them out. Besides, what would he even do with them? He just felt all too awkward and jumbled and _tense_. Why was he so tense? He tried to shake the feeling off, but it just made him focus on the it more. He was so engrossed with looking composed that he almost missed Harry stopping a few feet before the gate. Harry sighed and leaned back against the fence.

"Okay, so… 'home life' was the question?" He rubbed at his neck.

Draco forced himself to look at Harry's face. "Yes," He said slowly, "But if you'd rather not…"

Harry shook his head, "It's fine. Just where to start is the issue."

"Well, what about that Marge character? What happened with her?" Draco inquired, shuffling next to him and leaning against the fence as well.

"Oh, her," Harry chuckled. "Well…"

Harry explained the incident preceding his third year. How his spat with aunt Marjorie ended with her blowing up into a mini parade balloon and drifting off into the air. He laughed at Draco's horrified expression when he described how each part of her body puffed up one by one. "Don't worry, Mr. Jameson doesn't know all the magic parts." Harry added.

He sighed and looked up at the black sky, still smiling at the thought of Marge floating helplessly in the clouds.

"... Did she really say all those things?" Draco murmured after a second.

Harry's smile was replaced with confusion, "Which things?"

Malfoy clicked his tongue with frustration, "The bit about your drunk parents and you being 'rotten' on the inside."

Harry's face flushed with anger, "They _weren't_ drunks, th-"

Draco huffed, "I'm well aware, you git. I'm asking if she actually said those things!"

"Sorry, sorry," Harry rubbed his forehead, shielding his eyes in semi-embarrassment, "Force of habit… Yeah. She did."

Draco hesitantly patted Harry on the arm. "... I'm sorry."

Harry glanced at him from behind his hand before lowering it and leaning towards him, grinning slightly. "Is my pity story already making you fall in love with me, Malfoy?"

Draco blinked. "Oh, shut up, Potter."

Harry laughed. "Just kidding, Malfoy," He sang.

"... You set that up didn't you?" Draco tried to repress a smile.

"Nope! Just came to me," Harry said triumphantly.

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Well, the answer to that is obviously 'no' and -one of my favorites- 'you wish'."

Harry was about to send a witty reply his way, but Draco looked down at his feet and added, "But, either way, I don't think you're pitiful."

Draco waited for Harry to say something. When he remained silent, still leaning sideways towards him and frozen, he continued.

"I think you have a hard time… But you always treat everything as though that's not the case. You act like everything's brilliant, almost willing it to become so. You know how to make things easy most of the time. Well, not 'easy', I suppose. But you always know how to take action instead of dwelling on things for too long.

"Sometimes," Draco's voice dropped to a whisper, looking back up to Harry, "I wish I could be like that."

The corners of Harry's mouth twitched. He almost wanted to laugh and retort with a snarky comment. With Draco, it was his first instinct. But all he could do was lean closer, closer, closer. It seemed that's all he did since Draco checked in. He was constantly allowing this unexplained gravitational pull guide him closer to his newfound "acquaintance". Was it just him that felt this? Harry couldn't imagine Draco feeling anything but disdain for him. Although recent events could prove otherwise. Besides, it was difficult to think Draco hated him when he was leaning in just as much.

A small, nervous chuckle bubbled up into Harry's throat, but it twisted into something unrecognizable. He swallowed the noise back down. "Draco…" He managed.

Draco's stare was unwavering. His expression was a mix of pain and confusion and -Harry's breath hitched- almost _want_. He reached out to touch him, wanting to smooth the crease between his eyebrows. Draco breathed, about to lean into the touch.

"Harry! Thank God you're still here!" They jumped. Harry clenched his hand in the air, quickly straightening and staring wide-eyed at Mr. Jameson. A wave of déjà vu and irritation washed over him.

Harry cleared his throat, "Y-yes? What? What's happened?"

Mr. Jameson was panting, holding on to the building for support. He didn't seem to have noticed the moment between the two boys. "Eric cancelled. I need you to take the night shift. Can you do that?"

Harry nodded a bit too quickly, "Yeah, no- I mean, yes. I can. Sure thing."

Mr. Jameson gave him a momentary suspicious glance before sighing, "Thank you. Sorry for the late notice. I'm glad I caught you before you left. Your aunt and uncle won't mind?"

Harry laughed sourly, which earned him a glance from Draco. "They won't care. I'll go stamp my time card again."

Mr. Jameson nodded, leaving them. They stood there awkwardly, Draco's hands back in his pockets and Harry pulling at his hair. They deliberately avoided each other's gaze.

"Well-" Harry started.

"Yup."

"I'll just-"

"Yeah."

Harry mechanically walked back to the front desk, giving a quick wave to Malfoy. Something in his stomach twisted. A flush a red slowly crept up his neck and cheeks. He tried to think about mopping the bathroom floors or restocking towels, but all he could think about was Draco's lips and how delicate they looked slightly parted.

* * *

This one took a while to get through. Plus, midterms are coming up (And no I haven't used this story to procrastinate on homework [okay sorry that's a lie forgive me]).

Also, sorry, I know Mr. Jameson keeps interrupting. Let's be fair, though. Harry really needs to start doing his job.

Anyways, hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon. Feel free to review until then! I really appreciate all the comments I've gotten so far :)

-Bob


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: Harry's working at a motel for the summer. Unexpectedly, Draco appears and rents a room. Harry is filled with questions. Why is he there? What is he hiding from? And, probably the most important question of all, why is the need to be close to him so strong? This takes place somewhere between year five and year six.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in the Harry Potter series. I will not be profiting off this story.

* * *

"Potter… _Potter_." Draco poked at the sleeping mass of a wizard.

"Uh?" Harry raised his head off the front counter, his glasses slightly askew. "Crap, what time is it?"

"Seven in the morning," Draco said, crossing his arms. "You worked all night?"

Harry wiped a bit of drool off the side of his mouth, nodding.

Mr. Jameson came around the corner, setting some paper work on the desk, "Thanks for the hard work, boy. I know you still have a shift today, but feel free to sleep in one of the rooms to rest up."

Harry shook his head, "I don't want to take up any of the rooms. Plus, I still have to-"

"Don't be an idiot," Draco blurted out, "If you're worried about space, just be in my room."

Harry blinked at him, "Oh… Uh."

Draco flushed slightly, "You were passed out on a counter, Potter. I don't want you ruining my customer service because you don't understand the concept of sleep."

"Do as he says." Mr. Jameson nodded curtly and gestured to the glass doors. "You need rest. Don't want you falling asleep and landing in the water while cleaning the pool or something stupid like that."

"Yeah, don't be stubborn," Draco said, grabbing Harry's wrist before he could protest and pulling him all the way to the room.

"I'm not," Harry mumbled irritably. Although it was difficult to fight about the issue once he got an eyeful of the motel bed. He quickly kicked off his shoes and climbed into it, not bothering to get under the covers. Before Draco could even close the door behind him, Harry was fast asleep.

"Idiot." Malfoy said under his breath, suddenly feeling awkward standing there. He quickly changed into muggle swimwear and headed for the pool. It was too dangerous to stay in that room. Definitely too dangerous.

Draco straightened his shoulders and gracefully glided to an empty lounge chair, pointedly ignoring the muggle kids splashing about the pool. He scooted into his seat, sliding his sunglasses over his face and closed his eyes. He reveled in the sunlight, relaxing under it's warmth. He tried to clear his mind and think of nothing but the sun. His thoughts, however, had a different agenda, constantly wandering to the events from the night before. He groaned as the image of Harry, reaching out to touch him, kept popping up in his head. His eyes were hooded and full of something Draco couldn't quite identify.

Draco sighed and rubbed his eyes from behind his sunglasses.

To be honest, it's not like this attraction just fell from the sky. He knew he liked Harry. He'd known since fourth year. Although, that obviously didn't keep him from bottling up his emotions and throwing away the fucking container. But now it seemed there was reason to act on it. It seemed as though Harry felt some sort of attraction as well. However, that could be entirely in his head…

The image of Harry's expression flashed in his mind again. If they hadn't been interrupted… What would Harry have done? Draco shook off the question, resting his arm over his forehead.

"Way too dangerous," He mumbled, focusing his thoughts on the sun once again.

* * *

Draco slid into the room, carefully shutting the door behind him. Harry was rolled over on his side, his back towards the entrance. Draco sighed, kicked off his flip-flops, and changed into shorts and a t-shirt that read _Vans "Off the Wall"_. He sat carefully on the edge of the bed, placing his hand softly on Harry's arm.

"Potter." He shook him slightly.

Harry made a small sound in the back of his throat, but remained still.

"Potter, come on. You still have work."

He shook him again, effectively getting Harry to roll over on his back, mumbling incoherently. Draco rolled his eyes and grasped both of his shoulders, shaking him harder.

"Potter, get up, you-"

Harry groaned, pulling Malfoy down onto the bed and rolling back onto his side. "Shut up, 'Alfoy."

Draco flushed and struggled between Harry's arms, "P-Potter!"

Harry finally opened one eye, pausing before grinning and opening the other. "Oh, G'morning, Draco."

Malfoy huffed, his hands on Harry's chest to keep their closeness limited. "Waking you up is more trouble than it's worth, Potter."

"Yeah, well, I'm still half-asleep," He yawned.

Draco attempted to look irritated, but was promptly distracted by Harry's mouth. When he yawned, he couldn't help but stare at his tongue. It was unbelievably red. It looked smooth. He wondered what it would feel like on skin-

"Hey, are you going back to school this year?"

"Hmm?" Draco blinked and focused back on Harry's eyes. "Uh… Not sure. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, making his hands brush slightly against Draco's waist. Which, in turn, made Draco turn pinker than he already was. "I dunno. I see you have the summer homework out so I figured…"

Draco averted his gaze, his face going blank. "I'm honestly not sure what I'm going to do at this point."

They laid there, listening to each other's breaths. Harry opened his mouth to ask a question, but Draco knew what it was before a sound even escaped his lips.

"And, no, I won't tell you who I'm hiding from. Merlin, Harry, the only reason your glasses stay on your face is from that gigantic nose of yours!" He looked down at his hands, still resting on Harry's chest, and set his jaw.

Harry blinked before a slow grin appeared on his face.

"What?!" Draco fumed.

"You called me 'Harry'."

This time Draco was blinking before his face grew exceedingly hot. "I-I did not!"

"You so did," Harry's grin somehow grew wider as he pulled Draco close to him.

"Whatever, Potter! It's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but you never call me by my first name."

"And for good reason, too! Look at how you're acting."

"I'm acting completely normal. You're the one who's yelling." He snickered.

Draco bit his lip and furrowed his brow. "You're being a pratt, Potter," He whispered.

"Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to be more like me," Harry teased, echoing Draco's whisper. Malfoy froze, his brow furrowing.

"Sorry," Draco murmured after a moment.

"What?"

Draco was looking down, "I perhaps… said too much the other night."

Harry's smile faded as he shook his head, "No. I was just joking, Draco. I…" Harry hesitated. "What you said made me happy. I'm glad you don't actually hate my guts," He chuckled.

Draco stared at his hands, "... I never really hated you. You're the one who didn't want to be my friend in first year."

Harry smiled softly, "Well, to be fair, you were a bit of a git."

Draco glared at him, "Was not."

"Whatever, Malfoy." He smirked. His expression softened, though, when they locked eyes. He was suddenly aware of his hands resting on Draco's hips and Draco's fingers tracing small circles on his chest.

"... Say it again," Harry whispered.

"What?" He replied softly, looking distracted.

"My name."

Draco peered at him suspiciously.

"Please?" Harry tried to flash a charming smile, but really, it just looked desperate. "It sounds nice when you say it."

Draco hesitated. He gulped and licked his lips out of nervousness. He inhaled delicately before letting out a small breath.

"Harry."

The instant the word left his lips, Harry's mouth was on his. Draco made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, clenching at the fabric of Harry's shirt. He curved his neck back and pulled Harry towards him. That gravitational pull they felt the night before was nothing compared to this. This made them feel like magnets. Their legs intertwined as if they were meant to be stuck together, as close as their bodies would allow them.

Draco's fingers were tangled in Harry's mess of hair, tongue slipping out to touch the edge of his lip. Harry parted his mouth to welcome it, sliding his own into Draco's mouth in reply. Harry clutched Draco's hips and tugged, rolling onto his back. Draco straddled him, resting his weight on the palms of his hands beside Harry's head. Harry moaned into his mouth, causing a shiver to run down Draco's back.

"Say it again," Harry managed to say against his lips.

He moved on to kissing his jaw then his neck then to sucking at his collar bone. Draco curved his back, allowing access to his throat and shoulders.

"H-Harry…" He panted.

"Again," Harry murmured as he slid his hands under Draco's shirt.

"Harry."

He slowly moved his hands over his skin, one sliding up his spine and the other down to his lower back.

"Again," He whispered, almost aggressively.

" _Harry._ " Draco whimpered into the crook his neck. He softly kissed the skin he found there.

Harry shuddered, grabbing at Draco's hair and ass with each hand. Draco gave a small gasp, slowly starting to move his hips out of reflex.

Harry flushed at the sudden friction. He swallowed an odd sound down his throat and whispered in Draco's ear, "Again…"

"H-Ha-"

"Harry! Let's go boy, you were supposed to be working half an hour ago." Mr. Jameson burst through the door, effectively making the two boys yelp and scramble away from each other. Draco managed to roll off the bed in a heap while Harry just teetered on the edge, frozen.

Mr. Jameson paused. He looked from Draco to Harry before grinning, "I knew you were going off with one of the customers. My intuition never fails me." He shook a finger at them.

Harry started to stutter before Mr. Jameson cut him off, "I don't want to hear it. Just hurry up and get to cleaning the pool. Those damn kids made a mess again." And, just as fast as he came, he disappeared behind the door.

A deafening silence followed, stretching for what seemed like hours.

" _Merlin_." Draco finally said, slapping his hands over his face, currently the shade of a tomato.

Harry cautiously crawled off the bed and squatted next to him. He let an arm dangle between his legs (attempting to hide his half hard on), and used the other to pull at his hair. Draco didn't move, his hands still covering his face.

"... Sorry." Harry mumbled.

Draco parted his fingers to glance at him before hiding his eyes again. "What for?"

Harry shrugged, "I dunno… It just makes sense to say it."

They were silent again. Eventually Harry brought his hand down to stroke at Draco's hair. Draco bit his lip and slowly let his arms fall to his sides. He held the others gaze for a moment before Harry leaned down, softly letting his lips rest on Draco's. He sat back up and sighed.

"I have to go work."

Draco nodded, looking dazed. "I'll be seeing you, then, Harry."

Harry gulped and brushed Draco's hair back, his fingers lingering at the locks. He groaned as he stood up and hastily left.

"Shit," Harry said to himself aloud. He half-ran, half-walked towards the supply room, trying to shake away the indecent thoughts running through his head.

"That was dangerous."

* * *

Wow, it's been awhile! Sorry, I got caught up with school and all that. But here's the fourth chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm debating whether the next chapter will get nsfw... We'll see. If it is, I might have that part posted on Tumblr or something. Speaking of which, I made a drarry/wolfstar/misc. account if you guys want to check it out. The url is i-see-my-otps-in-erised.

Also, I want to thank everyone who left me reviews! I know I don't always respond, but they make me smile whenever I see them 3 So thank you and feel free to send more reviews/reactions to this chapter!

-Bob


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: Harry's working at a motel for the summer. Unexpectedly, Draco appears and rents a room. Harry is filled with questions. Why is he there? What is he hiding from? And, probably the most important question of all, why is the need to be close to him so strong? This takes place somewhere between year five and year six.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in the Harry Potter series. I will not be profiting off this story.

* * *

 _Harry._

His own name rang in his ears as Harry glided the muggle pool cleaner across the water's surface. A debris of dry grass and dead bugs gathered in the mesh. Work like this had become automatic for him, so it gave more than enough time to reflect on the day before. After his odd encounter with Draco, he spent the rest of the time working (as usual) then went back to Privet Drive (again, as usual). He was, however, nagged by constant daydreams of pale hands on his chest and warm, wet lips on his neck throughout the day (not as usual).

What had gotten into him? Why had he made such an obvious pass at Malfoy? How did he get the idea in his head to _kiss_ him? Oh Merlin, why was he thinking of kissing Malfoy _again_? Harry thought he was just allowing some weird friendship truce happen between them. After all, how else was he supposed find out the reason Malfoy was there? Apparently, that odd gravitational pull he experienced was much more than a platonic attachment.

Just thinking about it gave him chills. He kept remembering the way Draco's tongue felt against his or the moans Draco emanated when he wasn't calling Harry's name. He had to shake his head a few times to rid himself of the memories, but that proved rather difficult when fantasies of the future popped right up after them.

It was much too sudden. The whole situation. How long had it been since Draco had come to the Motel? He counted the fingers on his hands. Six. Today was the sixth day since he'd arrived. This was ridiculous. Even if they had known each other since they were eleven, this kind of relationship they were developing was remarkably out of character. They'd hated each other since day one, always having fighting matches and yelling at each other over the dining hall in Hogwarts. They constantly glared at each other as long as they were in the same vicinity. Their minds seemed to always be on each other, wondering what the other boy would do next. Malfoy constantly talked to his father about him, just as Harry constantly wondered about Draco to Hermione and Ron. Never mind the fact that they never let anything go, constantly holding on to the simplest bits of information just to mock the other… To get their attention… Harry groaned. Looking back at all of that made it look uncannily like a primary school crush.

Pausing his work to rub his cheek, trying to physically push the embarrassment away from his face, he glanced up at the balcony. Draco was there, leaning on the railing and looking at Harry. They locked eyes and, to Harry's surprise, Draco didn't flush at being caught staring. Instead, he simply held the others gaze before lazily straightening and disappearing into his room. Harry blinked, nonplussed.

 _Maybe_ , Harry thought, _these "new" feelings aren't the real problem here._ And as he continued to clean the pool, he couldn't help shaking the feeling that something much more complicated was coming.

* * *

Draco didn't flinch when he heard the knock at the door. He was expecting it. He gave a little sigh before murmuring, "Come in." Harry cautiously entered, balancing clean, folded bed sheets in one hand.

"Hey," Harry said after a beat and gestured to the sheets, "Gotta change these…"

Draco nodded, standing stiffly near the wall with his arms crossed. He watched Harry strip the dirty blankets and fit the clean material over the mattress. The room felt tight as their breathing became more and more noticeable with the ongoing silence. Draco licked his lips, preparing for what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry."

Draco blinked at Harry's words.

"What?" Draco replied, slightly irritated that the other beat him to the punch.

"I'm realizing that it might not have been…. er, the most appropriate to do that to you yesterday." Harry avoided eye contact, slowly switching out one of the pillow cases for a new one.

Draco's stomach dropped, but he maintained his indifferent expression, even throwing in a subtle smile for good measure. "You're apologizing? The brave gryffindor that acts before thinking? Never thought I'd see the day."

Harry's head snapped up, making Draco take a small step back in surprise, "I'm being serious. It was stupid of me to kiss you like that."

Draco was about to flare up in anger, but stopped in his tracks. "Kiss me?"

"Yeah." Harry cocked an eyebrow at him, almost amused, yet still had an air of irritation to him. "You do realize that's what we were doing, right?"

Draco glared at him, "I'm _aware_. Thank you, Ha- _Potter_. What's troubling me is that you think _you_ kissed _me_."

"Uhm, because I did?" He smirked at Draco's slip up. Draco ignored him.

"No, I was definitely the one to initiate."

Harry laughed, "What? That is _not_ what happened."

"Ugh, leave it to you to think you're the cause of everything," Draco lifted his arms in exasperation before sitting on the freshly made bed.

Harry made an irritated clicking sound with his tongue and walked around the mattress to face Draco. "But I _was_ the one to initiate!"

Draco cocked his head to the side in annoyance, "In what universe?"

Harry flushed, his voice rising, "Unfortunately, the one you live in! I know I was the one to kiss you because you said my n-name and then- I just- Ugh! Why else would I be apologizing?"

"I don't bloody know! Maybe for allowing it to continue? Merlin, you were probably feeling stupid for doing that with me-"

"Oh, that's utter bullshit, Draco! You know full well I don't do _shit_ I don't want to."

"That's not true! You do plenty you don't want-"

"Yeah, okay, but that's in very different circumstances! All those times I was being forced or something, but no one was forcing anything yesterday!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING FOR KISSING ME?" Draco bellowed, jumping up to come face to face with Harry.

Harry visibly resisted taking a step back, shock flitting across his face. He paused, and for a second Draco thought he had him, before Harry grinned, "So we're agreeing I kissed you?"

Draco groaned and fell backwards onto the bed, covering his face with his arm. "Forget it. This is the last thing that should be on my mind right now."

He could hear the mattress squeaking under Harry's added weight as he sat next to Draco. "What should be on your mind, then?" He murmured after a moment.

Draco shook his head, biting his lip.

"Draco, come on." He tried to pull Draco's arm away from his face, but Draco wouldn't budge. He was afraid of revealing his expression: all scared and vulnerable. Despite what they'd been through the last week, Harry was the last person he wanted to open up to.

"Hey," Harry said gently. "Draco, I just want to help you. Come on. Tell me why you're here."

Draco took a deep breath and removed his arm, trying his best to keep a calm face. His emotions must have shown through, however, because Harry looked surprised for a moment.

"Okay… Okay," Draco sat up, trying to make his face look as serious as possible. "But you- just try to be understanding. Please?" Harry seemed unsure, but eventually reciprocated Draco's expression and nodded.

Draco looked down at his hands and bit his lip. "I'm running from my parents… But it's not because they're being terrible or anything. They want me- No, it's not that they want me to do this, but if I don't… They'll be hurt. I'm pretty sure they will," Draco paused, still looking at his hands. When Harry said nothing he continued, "See, I heard them talking in my dad's office. I couldn't understand everything, but I knew the- the basics. That I would… That I'd have to-"

Draco's throat went dry and he noticed his hands were shaking. Harry slowly reached out to take them in his. "You'd have to…?" He whispered. Draco had an odd feeling that he already knew.

"I'd have to become a Death Eater. I'd have to get a dark mark." His voice cracked at "dark mark". He still didn't look up, but he could hear Harry's sharp intake of breath. He cringed when Harry's hands tightened around his.

"Wh-" Harry started, but stopped. He seemed to be gathering his words, organizing them with care. In another situation, Draco would have scoffed at how hard he was thinking, but he appreciated it at the moment.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Draco's head snapped up at that question. His previous appreciation vanished. "What am I going to do? Really? This, you idiot! This is what I'm doing!" He gestured around the room. "I've been switching muggle motels every bloody week or so. Sometimes I'll switch every three days if I feel suspicious."

Harry recoiled at first, but then straightened in indignation. "So you're just going to run?"

"Of course! We can't all be as brave as you, Potter." Draco snapped at him.

"Why doesn't your family just fight against it? Wait, I know why: you're all cowards. That's how you probably got on with Voldemort in the first place. Merlin, you're all so _Slytherin_ -" Harry stopped in his tracks. Draco glared at him and he could feel the prickle of tears forming around his eyes.

"You know it's not as simple as that, Harry." His voice was surprising level, completely opposite to how he was feeling. "It's not as simple as just fighting against it. As fighting against _him_."

Draco tried to slip his hands out of Harry's, but the other held them tight, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Draco looked away, "Yes, you did."

Harry sighed, "Okay, I did a bit, but I-"

"I asked you to be understanding." Draco hoped his voice wasn't cracking. He was too focused on keeping his tears from falling. However, one escaped and trickled down his cheek. He could feel Harry's pulse quicken on his hands and guessed he noticed it.

"I am. I am. Just- Explain it to me, please. Why won't you do anything against this? What will he do to you?" Harry scooted closer and freed one of Draco's hands to wipe away the wetness from his eyes. Draco closed his eyes at the touch and sighed, his eyebrows crinkling together slightly.

"We _can't_ , Harry. If we don't obey him, they'll be killed… I'm sure he'll kill them. I'm sure he'd kill me." It took Draco everything he had to keep from shaking.

"... What does he want you to do?" Harry asked, resting his hand on Draco's cheek. Draco looked at him and gave a small shake. "You don't know? Or you won't tell me?"

"Doesn't matter which, Harry. I'm not telling."

"You've told me this much, why-?"

"And I'm still figuring out whether that was a mistake."

"Draco-"

"Drop it."

Harry sighed and let his hand fall to Draco's lap. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both looking at their hands loosely holding each other.

"Draco?" They both looked up. Harry visibly gulped. "I know you said you didn't think you should be worrying about it right now… But I _am_ sorry about kissing you."

Draco sighed, his stomach dropping again. Leave it to Harry to make a bad situation worse. "Yeah, I got that, thanks-"

"I think I like you."

His stomach swiftly came back up to meet his throat.

"But I think it was dumb that I had to realize that by kissing you."

Draco blinked, "H-how else would you realize it?"

Harry shrugged then smiled at him sheepishly, "Probably any other time we interacted."

Draco blushed, "Huh?"

"Think about it: every time we talked it was like primary school kids who had crushes on each other. All we did was try to get each others attention. I mean-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Draco waved his hands in front of him, urging Harry to stop, a fiery red growing on his cheeks. He rubbed his brow and cringed, "I guess… I can see that." Okay, that was an understatement. He had seen it since third year (although it was one sided in his mind). Not that he would ever admit that to the Chosen One.

Harry chuckled, "I just wanted you to know."

Draco nodded, looking down to try to hide his face. Harry was silent, no doubt amused that he was making Draco look like a complete idiot. He heard him clear his throat and lifted his head to see Harry self-consciously pulling at his hair. "So… ah, I guess I should go back to work… Uhm. I'll let you think about it and all that-"

"What?"

Harry looked at him and Draco realized the git was blushing just as much as he was. _Oh, he doesn't know I like him back._

"Well, I don't want to make you reply to me right now. I mean you probably need ti- Hey, stop laughing!" Harry flushed even more at Draco's cackles.

"Merlin, you really are an idiot…" Draco said, shaking his head. He smiled at Harry as he pulled at his collar, effectively bringing the idiot towards him. He saw Harry's eyes widen before closing his own and brushing their lips together. Harry leaned in, tilting his head so they fit better. The warmth from his mouth expanded and licked at Draco's skin, so that soon his whole body was hot. Harry cupped his cheeks as Draco grabbed at his shirt, willing them to be closer. They parted for air, but Draco went back to softly kiss at Harry's jaw and neck. Every touch of skin made him feel warmer and warmer. He sighed as Harry made circles with his thumb behind his ear, holding him against his chest. If Draco still wasn't so scared of being found, he might have stayed in that Motel room forever, hoping that he'd eventually just melt at Harry's touch.

* * *

Harry couldn't help the dreamy smile that showed on his face. All he could think about was Draco and how they spent their time just a few hours previous. Sometimes his thoughts wandered to less than desired questions, like "why did Voldemort want Draco's help?" and "would his parents really make him do something dangerous?", but his head was too focused on pink lips to pay them any mind. He started imagining what would have happened if he stayed just a bit longer in that room when Mr. Jameson sauntered in. Harry straightened at the front desk and pretended to organize files.

"What's with you, boy? You've had that stupid grin on your face the whole day." Mr. Jameson said, the amusement clear in his voice.

"Nothing, sir. Just really enjoying the job."

"Mhm, right." Mr. Jameson chuckled and pushed Harry away. "I'd rather you hate it. Then you might actually do it correctly. I don't remember files beginning with the letter P going before the files beginning with M."

Harry bit back a smile and cleared his throat, "Er, sorry."

Mr. Jameson continued to reorganize the files, giving Harry a quick side glance. "So… You get to talk to your boy toy today?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at him, "'Boy toy'?"

"I'm assuming that's the type of relationship you two have. Unless he's your boyfriend?"

Harry looked down, heat rising at the back of his neck. They never had specified what they were to each other, except for once earlier in the week. "Well, if we're getting technical," He smirked at the memory, "he's my acquaintance."

Mr. Jameson rolled his eyes, "I didn't realize acquaintances shagged. Kids these days. Doesn't matter who it is, I guess."

"W-we weren't shagging!" Harry spluttered.

"Well, obviously. I interrupted you two." Mr. Jameson went on, ignoring Harry's noises of negation. "You're both too young for that kind of activity, anyways. Young people need to learn how to treat others with respect before they go around attacking the first person open for business-"

Harry subtly covered his face with his hands, groaning quietly as Mr. Jameson continued his lecture. This was the great and horrible part about his boss: he had such father-like tendencies. Well, if he was being honest, it was almost mother-like. Either way, it was embarrassing.

"Well, anyways, I hope you two actually had a proper conversation while you were ignoring your job. _Again._ " Mr. Jameson finished.

Harry cringed, "Er, sorry, Mr. Jameson."

Mr. Jameson gave a throaty chuckle, "Ah, you do good work. I won't get on about that just yet. Watch yourself, though. Can't be hanging out with him during your work hours all the time."

Harry nodded, "Yes, sir."

They worked in silence for the rest of the time. Harry worked slowly, thinking about what Mr. Jameson said. He was right. He couldn't just spend time with Draco while he was on the job. Plus, he didn't want to. Harry felt slightly giddy at the thought of hanging out with Draco outside of work and school. Maybe he'd show him the muggle shops or the park he often took refuge at. It'd be like a… like a... da-

"Oh, great. Harry, I think your acquaintance had a run in with those damn kids in room 43." Mr. Jameson said, interrupting Harry's train of thought.

"What?" Harry looked up and saw a wobbly Draco attempting to climb the stairs leading to the upper level rooms. "Oh, shit. Mr. Jameson, can I-?"

Mr. Jameson just waved him off, already back to organizing the customer data in his notebook. "Go on, go on. Don't want him falling off the balcony."

Harry jogged through the glass doors and passed the pool, jumping every other step on the stairs to quickly grab Draco's arm. Draco flinched at Harry's touch, but looked relieved when he saw it was him.

"Harry!" He smiled, turning to grab at Harry's shirt, almost dragging them both to the ground. "I missed you! How's work?"

Harry sighed, straightening and pulling the blond back up, "Did those muggles offer you stuff to drink?"

"What? Why do you ask that?" Draco broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Because you are obviously drunk right now."

He tapped Harry on the nose with his slender finger, "You're so cute when you notice things."

Harry blushed slightly at that, but concentrated on getting Draco to his room. He had to heave the other over each remaining step and struggled with opening the door since Draco refused to give him the key. He was forced to dig through Draco's pockets (while Draco made many flirtatious comments) and hold him up by the collar as he one handedly unlocked the door. Eventually, he shoved the drunken idiot onto the bed, panting slightly.

Draco giggled some more as he flipped over and crawled to the top of the mattress. He grabbed the first pillow within his reach and hugged it. "These pillows are so soft," He purred.

Harry rolled his eyes and sat at the end of the bed, "You don't have soft things at your mansion?"

Draco huffed, "Of course we do. I just never expected muggle's to have such soft things."

"You do realize muggles aren't some exotic species, right? They're basically us without magic."

"Exactly, so what's the point of them?" Draco snapped. Then his voice softened, "Anyways, I don't wanna talk about muggles right now."

He quickly sat up and crawled over to Harry, resting his head on the others lap. Harry's heart quickened, not sure how to react, before Draco turned to look up at him. "How was work today?"

"It was… fine. Draco, how did you end up like this?" Harry questioned.

Draco blinked up at him before sighing, "I don't know… I guess my parents put a lot of pressure on me. I mean, I know I can be a prat, and I guess my thoughts on muggles aren't 'politically correct'," He made quotation marks in the air, "or whatever, but I have an image to uphold! Honestly, I can't think of a single reason why you like me-"

"What? No, Draco, why are you drunk?"

"Oh, they asked me if I wanted a drink and I hadn't tried any muggle stuff before. I've only really had Firewhiskey, which, by the way, isn't all that good anyways. I mean, I get how some people can like the burning, but really? How masochistic can you get. I much rather Butterbeer. Anyways, I went to their room and there were a lot of muggles our age. They were all acting like idiots and kept forcing different drinks on me. They didn't taste good, but it was calming down my head. I actually started panicking about telling you all that stuff today so I thought a good drink would help. Haha, it did the job, though! I feel sooo much better."

Harry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing while Draco went on and on about how odd muggles drinks were, why he felt vulnerable after talking to Harry, how he had trouble with his hair on most days, etc. Gradually, Draco's eyes started drooping and his words slurred.

"Draco," Harry said gently, interrupting a monologue about muggle clothes versus robes. "You should go to bed."

"What? Why?" Draco whined. He was fiddling with Harry's fingers and remained comfortably on his lap.

"Because it's midnight? And I have to go back now." Harry attempted to pull his fingers back, but Draco held to them tighter.

"Just stay with me." He reached to touch Harry's cheek with his free hand.

Harry flushed, but cleared his throat and grabbed Draco's hand, pulling it away from his face. "Maybe next time," He said.

Draco huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry chuckled and pushed him up, guiding him to the top of the mattress. He adjusted the sheets and pillows so that he was comfortable, ignoring Draco's complaints of "I don't need your help!" and "Fluff the pillow _right_ , Potter".

"You sure talk a lot when you're drunk." Harry commented when Draco was all settled.

He shrugged and pulled the covers tighter around his neck, "Yeah, well, you barely talk when I'm drunk. Suits me jus' fine."

Harry grinned. Draco was also very honest when he was drunk. Suddenly, he got an idea. He felt a bit guilty, but there was no way Draco would give Harry a straight answer normally. Plus, he could always change his mind once he was sober.

"Draco, will you let me take you on a date this weekend? Tomorrow?"

Harry held his breath, watching Draco's expression change as he tried to decipher the question.

"... Really?" Draco asked tentatively.

"Yeah."

Draco's face spread out into a wide, sleepy grin, "Okay!"

Harry smiled, relief and warmth spreading across his body. "I'll hold you to that." He quickly swept down and planted a kiss on Draco's lips before standing up.

"Wait!" Draco grabbed Harry's hand. "Will you stay? Just until I fall asleep?"

Harry sighed, "Draco, I really-"

"Please, Harry." He practically whispered, "I'm so tired of being by myself."

Harry gulped. He felt a mixture of pain and understanding towards the slytherin. "Okay. Once you fall asleep, I'll go."

He slipped under the covers, wrapping his arms around Draco, who sighed contently.

"Thank you, Harry." Draco murmured. Harry smiled into the soft, blond locks. A warmth spread through him as Draco snuggled against his chest. They could just stay there forever, Harry thought. For a moment, Harry wished they didn't have school or work or have to run from anyone. He wished they could just lay in that Motel and slowly melt at each other's touch.

* * *

Wow, okay, so college is kicking my ass right now. I'm glad I got to finish such a big chapter! And I've finally planned out how this fic is going to play out. It's going to be waaay longer that I expected, so get ready for the plot to thicken and relationships to complicate :D

I hope I get to the next chapter soon! Again, thank you all SO MUCH for your reviews and follows and favorites. They honestly make my day.

-Bob


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